Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy?

Gary Thomas brings theological training and practical ministry experience to Sacred Marriage, positioning him to address marriage from a spiritual formation perspective. After earning undergraduate training in literature from Western Washington University, Thomas completed graduate theological studies at Regent College in Vancouver under Christian theologian J.I. Packer, receiving training in systematic theology that grounds his approach to marital spirituality. His extensive engagement with historical Christian writings—from medieval mystics to 17th-century spiritual directors like Francis de Sales—aims to provide depth rarely found in contemporary marriage literature. As a regular teaching pastor at Second Baptist Church in Houston and adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary, Thomas combines academic theological training with ongoing pastoral engagement, giving him direct exposure to the real challenges married couples face.

However, Thomas’s framework assumes readers share his conservative evangelical theology and biblical interpretation, particularly regarding the permanence of marriage and gender complementarianism (the belief that men and women have different but complementary roles in the family and in the church). Thomas’s own long-term marriage and three adult children provide personal credibility for his practical advice, though his middle-class American evangelical context may limit applicability for readers from different ideological or cultural backgrounds or those facing extreme marital circumstances like abuse. Nevertheless, his consistent emphasis on character transformation over emotional satisfaction offers a countercultural perspective that challenges contemporary therapeutic approaches to relationships.